My goal is to create simple and easy recipes that brew quickly in one bottle. I will test different ingredients and juices while continuing to improve the recipes with these experiments so anyone can copy this without having to go through all the trial and error to get to a good result.
I've learned a few tips about what works and what to avoid. I'll aim for simplicity and the least ingredients when possible. I will list specific recipes, gravity readings with ending alcohol readings and taste descriptions.
The basic method is add the ingredients and yeast and cover the bottle with toilet paper or paper towel and an elastic band to hold the paper on. I do this for 4-5 days while swirling the bottle every day to dissolve any yeast cake or foam that might develop on the top of the liquid. This is to allow oxygen to get into the liquid which I have found helps the yeast multiply and ferment faster.
After this I add an airlock or loosely put the cap on and then put another plastic bag over the top with an elastic band to hold the bag on. The bottle can then stay in a warm place until the bubbling stops and the liquid is clear of any yeast or sediment. This could take 2-3 weeks usually. After this the bottle goes into a refrigerator to cold crash any remaining yeast or sediment to the bottom of the bottle. After a few days gently pour or siphon into a sanitized bottle and it's basically ready. I usually keep it refrigerated or fairly cool since it doesn't have added preservatives. Sounds easy right?
What I have learned so far in the last year is that trying to brew high alcohol wine (14% - 18%) alcohol in a single bottle is a major pain. Fermentations can easily become stuck if the conditions aren't ideal. Yeast can also become stressed and produce off flavors at high alcohol levels. For this reason I'm going to start at the opposite end of the spectrum and just try to get a fast, clean and dry fermentation to begin with which should range from 7% to 14%. I want it to taste good above all else. Lol.
I've tried six different wine yeasts so far. My favorite so far is Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast. This yeast is very vigorous, doesn't foam hardly at all and flocculates (drops out of suspension to the bottom of the bottle) better than any other type I have tried. It will ferment ranging from 8 to 35 degrees Celsius although I aim to keep the temperature around 20 degrees. I don't see much point in using other yeasts at this stage but eventually when I get these recipes fine tuned I will do a yeast shoot out.
I will be using:
I will compare just juice and yeast along with additions of these other ingredients. I'm hoping to simplify these recipes as much as possible so not all ingredients will necessarily be used. Other ingredients may be added later if I find better additions.
